If there are numbers in the release version, there better be an option to turn off displaying player names. I don't care to see how many digits and variations of Sephiroth people can think up, nor do I want to see 1337 players.

The amount of people(though few) upset about having to choose a last name is interesting to me. I'd never thing people would be against more customization. Even in the worst case scenario that you had to type out a full name every time you sent them a tell is it really that bad? Typing out /t "Harry Winklebottom" does not take much effort, if you think it is, then you are lazy. There are many more things to be concerned about than "omg last names do not want."

Personally I think adding surnames give immense identity to a character. It will actually feel like they are a person and not just some random "Hero." If anything going by one name should be MORE rare. People like Elvis, Madonna, Churchill, Mario, Jesus, and Mohamed, don't need Surnames, but maybe XxDrizzitxX does.

The amount of people(though few) upset about having to choose a last name is interesting to me. I'd never thing people would be against more customization.

It's quite understandable, though being adamantly against the addition of the feature is as silly as being adamantly for it.

I'm not against customization, but I don't care for superficial customization. I think giving people talent trees or sub jobs options is great, but stuff that is purely cosmetic usually ends up annoying me.

Surnames may technically mean more customization but it also means your name is bound to be less unique. Even if my last name were to be different, I wouldn't want 20 other players in the game running around with the same first name as me. Now if they made it so your first name still had to be unique then I'd be against surnames much less. I still don't like the idea of /t people and having to type out first and last name.

I like names like that. Instead of having to figure out whether a person is an idiot or not they just come right out and let you know. Either way, in the end I care more about my own name than strangers names. There's always going to be stupid names with strings of Xs and other random garbage thrown in, but I'll be happy if I have a good and unique name to call my own.

I like the idea, from an RPG point of view a surname will allow SE to expand the capabilities in-game. You could marry in game and your "husband/wife" could take your surname, you could adopt a child and they could take your surname, and if they get married and adopt, their child would have your surname, you could have a whole family tree. It's an idea can expand on with "proper" adoptions and an actual interface that shows the family tree.

That's strictly from an RPG perspective and not something I myself would do however, but having the option in an RPG does open up fantastic options on RPG servers (if SE implements them).

There is also the Linkshell variaty, I'm happily a member of Ravenmist on Shiva, so Lexxuk Ravenmist would, yeah, the sack holder would kill me :o

Of course, Surnames should not be mandatory, I'd happily stick with just Lexxuk, although for some reason Random Name does appeal..... Or Shan Toto.... Gal Ka.... Hrm.

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A strange obsession, mine. But better to be addicted to smartphones and gismos than cocaine or ***, I suppose. Well, I don’t know, the result is the same after all, very little sleep, great expense and horrific mess everywhere.

They had tons of NPCs in XI that had first and last names. It's not like it's a shock that they can do it.

I like it. Being someone who appreciates a roleplay aspect to MMOs, I'll probably name myself something reasonable. On a private WoW server a friend and I used to run, I had my character named Marylinn Quartet. It looked nice above my character.

I'll probably go with that.

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Did you lose faith? Yes, I lost faith in the powers that be. But in doing so I came across the will to disagree. And I gave up. Yes, I gave up, and then I gave in. But I take responsibility for every single sin. ♪ ♫